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There has been some significant movement in the boxing betting odds for the fight between Artur Beterbiev and Anthony Yarde this weekend. Beterbiev was upwards of -1500 to win this fight last week, but his odds have dropped dramatically. A lot of money has come in on the underdog Yarde, shifting the boxing betting line considerably, and he will have the home crowd at his back too.
Artur Beterbiev (18-0 with 18 knockouts) will defend his IBF, WBC, and WBO light heavyweight titles against Anthony Yarde (23-2 with 22 knockouts) on Saturday, January 28, 2023. This title fight will headline a promotion that will take place at OVO Arena in Wembley, London, England. The fight card is slated to get started at 2 p.m. ET and ringwalks are expected to come at around 5:30 p.m. ET.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde Betting Odds vs. BetRivers Sportsbook
Artur Beterbiev -770
Anthony Yarde +480
Total Rounds: 6.5
Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde Preview
Only a handful of current boxers have more impressive resumes than Artur Beterbiev. The Russian is one of the most decorated amateur fighters of the early 21st Century, winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 2006 and 2010 European Championships. Additionally, he won the silver medal at the 2007 World Championships and the gold medal at the 2009 World Championships, and the only reason he didn’t medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics is because he ran into a local Chinese fighter early in the competition. In 2011 and 2012, Beterbiev ran into current heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, so he was unable to medal in either year.
The only problem with Beterbiev’s fantastic amateur career is that it delayed his pro prospects until he was in his late 20s. He didn’t take part in his first professional fight until he was 28 years old, essentially fighting with a ticking clock over his head.
Given his polish from years as an amateur fighter, his first several opponents didn’t stand a chance against him. Beterbiev knocked out each of his first eight opponents inside of four rounds, and he claimed the WBA-NABA light heavyweight championship with a 2nd Round TKO of Tavoris Cloud and added the IBF North American and WBO-NABO light heavyweight straps in his next fight.
Beterbiev continued to dominate at a regional level until he faced Enrico Kolling for the IBF light heavyweight title in November 2017. In his toughest test yet, Beterbiev did not knock out his opponent until the 12th round, and it’s the closest he’s come to failing to knock out an opponent. The Russian added the WBC light heavyweight belt to his waist with a 10th round TKO of Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October 2019, and he further consolidated the division last June. Beterbiev scored a second round TKO of Joe Smith Jr. to win the WBO light heavyweight title.
Most boxing fans were hoping that Beterbiev would take on either Oleksandr Usyk or Dmitry Bivol in a unification fight, but he was forced to take on WBO mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde.
Yarde was nearly as dominant as Beterbiev to start his career. He knocked out nine of his first 10 opponents in the first or second round, showcasing a power that sent excitement up and down the ranks of the light heavyweight division. Yarde was tested more over the next couple years when he won regional championships, but he failed to match the moment in his first major title fight.
In August 2019, Yarde took on Sergey Kovalev for the WBO light heavyweight belt. Yarde held his own for a while before Kovalev showed what it takes to be a champion in the later rounds. Kovalev ended up securing an 11th round TKO, but he did declare that Yarde would be a world champion one day in his post-fight comments.
We haven’t seen Yarde face a quality opponent since the loss to Kovalev. Regardless, he is just 5-1 since that defeat as he lost a split decision to Lyndon Arthur. Yarde did avenge that defeat the next year with a fourth-round knockout of Arthur, but this is a big step up in competition.
Artur Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde Prediction
At this point, it’s Beterbiev or nothing. All the value is gone from Yarde considering he doesn’t have the most impressive background, so it’s best to go with the champion.
